What are the benefits of laughter scientifically? Can laughter be treated? Are the benefits of laughter limited to mental health only? Learn the scientific reasons that will alert you to the importance of laughter and the need to preserve it, as well as ways to ensure more laughter is introduced into your life.
laughing benefits
The many benefits of laughter have been scientifically found, as their impact extends to mental and physical health and social life. But scientific studies show that getting the great benefits of laughter must be combined with a healthy lifestyle that includes eating beneficial foods, good sleep and exercising.
The benefits of laughter for physical health
Help to relax
Laughing increases the amount of oxygen in the body due to deep breathing during it, which helps to relax the muscles for a period of up to 45 minutes. Of course, muscle tension can be a physical sign of tension, so the muscles relax when the tension is removed as a result of laughing.
Benefits of laughter for cardiovascular health
Stress produces hormones that lead to constriction of blood vessels, and it is considered one of the most important causes of high blood pressure and causing strokes. On the other hand, laughing reduces the secretion of stress hormones and relaxes the lining of blood vessels and arteries and expands them, which enhances blood flow in them.
Generally speaking, laughter is beneficial to the health of the heart and the diaphragm, as it stimulates the work of the heart and improves the performance of the arteries and the effectiveness of blood circulation, which helps to prevent strokes and cardiovascular disease. There are many studies on cardiovascular health that have revealed the scientific benefits of laughter, including:
The study conducted by the Journal of Dental and Medical Research revealed that laughter can lower blood pressure in general. The study was conducted on a group that listened to funny content over a period of 8 weeks for 16-30 minutes a day, which lowered their blood pressure.
The American Heart Association studies, which advises laughter to maintain a healthy heart. Where it was found that laughter works to produce the beneficial HDL cholesterol, and reduces the chances of inflammation of the arteries.
Laughter is also an important exercise for those who are prevented by health conditions from exercising. It increases the oxygen level in the blood, raises the heart rate, and burns calories just like exercise. It has been found that the calories burned by laughter per hour are equivalent to those burned by walking slowly. One of the studies that scientifically prove the benefits of laughter, a study conducted in 2009 by the International Journal of Humor Research, proved that laughter for 30 minutes enables an individual to give up visiting the gym.
Raise the efficiency of the immune system
Several studies have revealed that laughter increases the production of antibodies and what are known as T-cells, which supports the health of the immune system and helps fight dangerous diseases. In general, the positive thoughts generated during laughing produce a substance known as neuropeptide, which is a protein that can fight stress by reducing the secretion of the hormones it produces. Which works to fight diseases caused by stress.
Reducing physical pain
Laughter relieves the physical pain a person feels, as it generates the natural pain reliever hormone endorphins. According to an experiment published by the Proceedings of the Royal Society, it was found that group laughter over general topics can raise participants' pain thresholds.
Calories burned
One study on the benefits of laughter scientifically found that laughing for 10-15 minutes a day may help burn approximately 40 calories. That is, it is possible to lose an amount of 2 kg per year only by laughing for 15 minutes a day. And a 2014 International Journal of Obesity study revealed that watching a funny movie for 10 minutes can burn 10 calories.
Laughter expands and contracts a lot of muscles, especially the stomach muscles. It also expands the chest, moves the shoulders, and introduces more oxygen to the body, which leads to the relaxation of all these muscles later.
Laughter extends life
In a study conducted in Norway to find out the effect of laughter on a person’s life in general, the study showed that the group that was characterized by laughter and a higher sense of humor also had a longer life span. Where the effect of the study was more evident on patients fighting cancer despite their disease.
The benefits of laughter for mental and psychological health
Reducing stress, improving mood, and combating depression
Stress is a major cause of many physical and psychological illnesses, and laughter is said to be able to reverse the consequences of stress. Laughter inhibits the production of cortisol, the hormone produced by exposure to stress, in contrast, dopamine is secreted when laughing, a chemical that has sedative properties. The production of endorphins as a result of laughter improves general mood and reduces anxiety, stress and depression, which has a positive effect on one's mental health.
A 2015 study by the Journal of Alternative and ComplementaryMedicine revealed the effect of laughter in combating depression, in which it was found that a 60-minute treatment with laughter over a period of 3 sessions relieves depression and mood swings in cancer patients.
A study by Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine also showed that watching a funny movie is enough to reduce the levels of hormones that are excreted in the body due to stress.
Enhance mental capabilities
Laughter changes the way the brain's nerve cells communicate. Laughter generates gamma waves in the brain, which are brain frequencies generated by the continuous practice of meditation and enhance mental abilities. Therefore, laughter has been employed in new teaching methods that remove the stress factor from the educational environment. So that the teacher introduces the element of humor into the educational material, which helps students remember the main information of the lectures.
Generally speaking, taking a positive outlook on facing obstacles rather than adopting them and indulging in them, facilitates finding creative and simple solutions at the same time. Also, getting rid of stress through laughter increases a person's energy and enables him to increase his productivity and distract him from his focus.
Get rid of negative loads and feelings
In general, maintaining negative emotions can lead to great psychological problems. But laughter is an easy way to overcome these feelings, by treating differences by finding their causes and noting the funny side about them. Thus, feelings of bitterness and hatred that may result from conflict and confrontation can be overcome, as it is impossible for a person to laugh and retain feelings of sadness, anger and tension at the same time.
The importance of laughter to maintain mental health
Laughter enhances positive emotions, which continue to affect people even after they stop laughing. Also, continuing to laugh ensures maintaining a positive outlook on life, and this is one of the most important factors that maintain a person's psychological health. Laughter enables a person to change his perspective on life's obstacles, so that he feels in control of his feelings instead of being a victim of them.
The physical condition of the body is reflected in the mind. A person's mood may change only by making up a laugh or a smile, or even sitting in an open and confident manner.
The social importance of laughter
Communicating with others and strengthening social ties
Sharing jokes and laughter and recalling funny memories strengthens social bonds with family and friends, which are beneficial to a person's mental and emotional health. Also, people who are light-hearted and cheerful always attract people around them, due to the effect of laughter on the psyche of those around them.
Facing difficult life circumstances
One of the benefits of laughter is that it enables a person to have an optimistic psyche while going through difficult life situations, making him more able to face and overcome them. Surrounding oneself with what can create an atmosphere of laughter and joy always is enough to change a person’s view of the problems he faces.
Means of increasing laughter
Make laughter a habit to gain the benefits of laughter
It is important to get in the habit of adding joy to all things routine in life and to making laughter a habit. So that he sees everything that gives joy and pleasure in all the situations he faces, even the difficult ones. So getting accustomed to laughing at small mistakes and pitfalls that a person commits in daily life instead of taking them seriously is a decision that guarantees changing the perspective of life to support mental health.
It is also possible to surround the soul with everything that reminds a person of laughter, which is a useful way to make laughter a habit. This is done, for example, by placing funny and happy backgrounds on the computer and mobile phone screen. It is also possible to place pictures that bring back funny memories around the home and office.
It is important to think of laughter as a healthy habit that you should practice daily, such as eating food and exercising. Where 10-15 minutes a day are devoted to practicing this habit until it becomes part of the daily routine so that it is practiced without conscious effort.
Share your laughter with others
The likelihood of a person laughing during their day is 30 times more likely if they surround themselves with others compared to spending time alone. Laughter is a contagious behavior. Therefore, a person must surround himself with positive people who stimulate laughter to obtain the psychological benefits of laughter.
Follow what is funny
There are many TV shows and YouTube channels that offer funny content, as well as stand-up comedy shows and satirical writers. It is also possible to spend time with children and enjoy their spontaneity. Adding such programs to your daily routine will guarantee a daily dose of laughter beneficial to your mental health.
Try laughter therapy or laughter yoga
Studies indicate that the benefits of laughter are realized even if it is fabricated, as the body does not distinguish whether the laughter is contrived or real. Thus, it is possible to work on practicing laughter in private sessions known as laughter yoga, which is a form of yoga. The participants in these exercises start with laughter as a physical exercise with breathing and make sure that the participants look each other's eyes. Thus everyone starts laughing, as it is a behavior that is contagious in nature. Of course, laughter therapy can be used for someone suffering from stress or other more severe mental illnesses.
Awareness of everything that does not laugh
The most beautiful thing about laughter is sharing it with others, so you should be careful to laugh with others, not against them. Adding more laughter to your routine does not mean giving up responsibilities or belittling another's feelings. So, it is important not to hurt people with jokes that are hurtful or incite bullying and hate.
Laughter has many benefits and a great impact on the human body, as it affects the secretions of hormones related to stress and relaxation, which reflects on mental health and reduces anxiety and tension. Laughter therapy is inexpensive and powerful, so be sure to add it to your life pharmacy.
I completelely that certain medical problems van be cured by laughter